I wanted to speak on the new Spike channel television program Blade the series. For the most part I liked it. It had a nice dark feel to most of the scenes and a decent pace. I love the fact that there are more than just a few characters that are Black African American, American Indian, Asian and more. Diversity in any program is a benefit, it adds to the atmosphere and depth of the characters. In the better programs it breathes an essence of reality and intensity I feel. Like in the world, the differences make the whole better than before.
Beyond the overall look of the cast, the settings are nice. Gritty and no too artificial looking. Most seem like the real interiors of buildings, with just the right touch of decay. The lighting as well adds to the general morose feel of the ongoings. I love some of the outfits that some of the characters, especially the women, have. A nice Gibson-esque cyperpunk feel to it.
Actually I see a lot of homages and elements of other great storylines. Besides the cyberpunk feel, there are elements of Vampire: The Masquerade, Buffy the Vampire - the series, and Angel. There is even a reference to possibly an old independent comic book (forgot the name but the characters had gold symbiotes and were former military) or the Underworld movies. These can be seen in the structure and manipulation of the vampire clans, the understanding that other forces may exist, like lycans - werewolves, and that they don’t like the vampires at all. The abilities of the vampires is also taken from many places. I like the combinations and potential.
I can only hope they delve deeper into what the vampires can do, how different all the clans are. Not just in how they create new members, but the abilities they specialize in. Maybe bringing in the Nosferatu. That would be interesting. I’d love to see a strong storyline on the lycans (short for lycanthrope). Would Blade be more or less inclined to take their help? Are they the enemy of his enemy and thus his friend, or another enemy? Do they age? How much power do they have? And who else is out there? Magicians of various sorts? There can be a lot of potential, and many of these can play both for and against each other. A blend of naturally existing checks and balances that Blade can affect in large scale. And what plans are out there, started centuries ago with decades to go before their fruition.
These are all things that can be explored, and the introduction of this series hints at tackling many of them. The writing is at times smart, and at times flat. I think that so far the vampires, Marcus in particular, have had the best lines. Blade has had some of the worst. Krista looks to be a wildcard and one of my early favorites. As Blade said, “it can go either way” in regards to her.
The acting though is harder to get a feel of. I think the look of the various cast members is fine. The actor portraying Blade, Mr. Kirk “Sticky” Jones, does have some of the look of Mr. Wesley Snipes. He seems uncomfortable in the role though. Blade may be detached and reserved, but he is also intense. Mr. Jones did well in Over There, a show that I think did not get the attention and recognition it deserved [it is too soon for its time I think] and in the Shield, but seems wooden here. He moves with a stiffness and his lines seem like he is trying too hard to deliver the hard edge that is Blade as done by Mr. Snipes. As the show progresses I hope he makes the character his own and reaches a comfort level.
Marcus, as portrayed by Mr. Neil Jackson, does stand out well. Very suave and emanating a feel of sophistication and worldliness. This character should be around for a while, and I think can give a lot of depth to the vampires and their long-term goals.
I should mention that I think Mr. Jones has done well in a couple of roles. It seems that, for me, he does best in roles that are closest to his rap origins. I do give him credit, unlike many he has actually tried several roles in movies and television. He has worked to be a true actor, and while he is far from a star he is improving. Given time I think he is capable of really breaking out in this television series. He may not be on the level of LL Cool J or Queen Latifah, but he is leaps and bounds above many other rapper-wanna-be-actors.
Overall I like the program. I’m looking forward to seeing the story and acting develop. This could be a winner, as long as you don’t expect to only get what the movies did. There is the promise of more, and that is maybe the best thing so far.
This is what I think, what do you think?
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